On Talk Radio, Overman Objects To MLB's Credential Restrictions

 

DURHAM, NC (March 2, 2008) - NPPA president Tony Overman appeared on the Internet talk show "Photo Talk Radio" on Saturday to discuss Major League Baseball's proposed credential rules, which limit the publication of online photo galleries as well as imposing additional restrictions.

NPPA and Overman last week sent MLB commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig a letter objecting to the credential agreement's language and restrictions.

For those who missed the live broadcast, the show is available online as a podcast that can be heard as streaming audio or downloaded as an MP3.

Overman appeared on the show with its hosts Howard Lipin and Michael A. Garcia.

"We've operated with rules that were jointly agreed upon between Major League Baseball and the media for the last seven years," Overman told Lipin. "What concerns us now was that this was a unilateral decision, Major League Baseball just came out and said, 'We're restructuring the particular uses of photos, and photo galleries,' and the photo gallery restriction is the one that's of the most concern to us. It's leaving the discretion to the baseball commissioner and Major League Baseball to determine what is a 'photo gallery,' and for them to say 'you can't put it up.'"

Overman also explained other ramifications of the new rules. "This also limits the media's ability to publish a story of general interest, and that places the editorial control of news content in the hands of a professional monopoly. So in that case, the public is not only getting shortchanged, but they could also be hoodwinked and not know about it."

"In this case, Major League Baseball is trying to dictate how, when, where, and in what quantity we can cover the news," Overman said. "We felt that if the NPPA didn't take a stand against this now, our failure to object would just be used as justification for increased restrictions and control the future. As a matter of fact, they even try to use that now to say, 'Well, professional football has restrictions, why didn't you complain about that?' And so we try to speak up any time we can as these restrictions and controls try to increase as professional sports organizations try to maximize their profits and have the visual images under their own control."

Hear the segment of the program with Overman discussing NPPA's objections to MLB's credentials here, or the entire program here.

Another guest on Saturday's show was J. Kyle Keener, formerly of the Detroit Free Press, who is now freelancing.

Read earlier coverage on NPPA's objections to MLB's credentials

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